NOT AT ALL MESSY!!

In 2004 Seventeen-year-old Lionel Messi, made his league debut for FC Barcelona in a 1-0 win against cross-town rivals Espanyol at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona.

Messi began the 2004–05 season as a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, but after some lobbying by the senior players, he was promoted to the first team by manager Frank Rijkaard. He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004, at 17 years old. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, becoming the youngest-ever scorer for the club at the time. He was at that time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club won the league title during that season.

On his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player, which kept him with Barcelona through 2010, and had a release clause of €150 million. Three months later, as his performance continued to make waves, his contract was updated to double his salary and keep him with the club until 2014. By the end of the 2005-6 season. Barcelona had won La Liga again as well as the UEFA Champions League.

During the 2006-7, Messi scored his first hat-trick during a game against Real Madrid, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a Clasico in 12 years. Two goals scored by Messi against Getafe and Espanyol during the season drew notice for their similarities to two famous goals scored by fellow Argentine Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup match against England, leading to comparisons between Messi and Maradona that would endure throughout Messi's career. Barcelona finished the 2006–07 season with only one trophy – the 2006 Supercopa de España – and the 2007–08 season without a single trophy, leading to Rijkaard's departure.

SOME INCREDIBLE FIGURES BELOW!!

Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2004	Barcelona C	10	(5)
2004–2005	Barcelona B	22	(6)
2004–2021	Barcelona	520!!	(474!!)
2021–2023	Paris Saint-Germain	58	(22)
2023–	Inter Miami	79	(73)
International career
2004–2005	Argentina U20	18	(14)
2008	Argentina U23	5	(2)
2005–2026	Argentina	208!!	(126!!)

HISTORIC MATCH FOR THE MALTA NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM, FAROES, SPAIN AND GREECE

On this day, The Malta National Football team played the Faroe Islands in Torshavn, in a match that was the 400th ever international played by the Malta National team.

Malta played its first international game on 24 February 1957 at the Empire Stadium, losing 3-2 to Austria. That match was played in front of a capacity crowd at the old Empire Stadium. The Malta Football Association joined FIFA in 1959 and UEFA a year later. In late 1959, Malta played in the 1960 Summer Olympics African Qualifiers against Morocco and Tunisia, in which they finished last in the group with two draws and two losses. Since then, Malta has largely remained as one of Europe's weakest teams, though its fortunes have increased since late 2010s.

v Faroe Islands

Games won:	2
Games drawn:	2
Games lost:	6

Date	Match	Result	Score	Competition
30 Apr 1997	Malta v Faroe Islands	L	1-2	FIFA World Cup
08 Jun 1997	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	2-1	FIFA World Cup
18 Aug 2004	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-2	International Friendly
19 Nov 2013	Malta v Faroe Islands	W	3-2	International Friendly
07 Sep 2018	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-1	UEFA Nations League
20 Nov 2018	Malta v Faroe Islands	D	1-1	UEFA Nations League
23 Mar 2019	Malta v Faroe Islands	W	2-1	UEFA European Championship
15 Oct 2019	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	1-0	UEFA European Championship
03 Sep 2020	Faroe Islands v Malta	L	3-2	UEFA Nations League
17 Nov 2020	Malta v Faroe Islands	D	1-1	UEFA Nations League

The Spain national team played their 700th international match in history, this time in Solna against Sweden. 

15 Oct 2019

Sweden v Spain

D

1-1

UEFA European Championship

The 600th ever game of the Greece national football team was held in Marousi vs Bosnia & Herzegovina on October 15th 2019 at the Athens Olympic Sports Centre Spyros Louis in Marousi, Greece.

SIEG HEIL! and A CLICHE!!

Mark Bosnich, yes the goalkeeper, made a name for himself in many ways and mostly, positively. In 1996, on this day, he showed that his comic timing was as bad as his ability to say "no", when he performed the "Nazi Salute" at White Hart Lane, in front of 40,000 Spurs fans (mainly), many Jewish. The Villa goalkeeper claimed it was a "joke" directed at Jurgen Klinsmann, who had left the club a year earlier. The real joke was on him as he had to pay an FA Fine for £1,000....actually not a lot considering his status and earnings! The chaps back at the Association obviously "bought into" the Aussie's, "Its political correctness gone mad" defence!!

Gareth Southgate did not show any "comic timing" when in 1998, on this date, England won 3-0 over part-timers, Luxembourg, in a Euro 2000 qualifier. Hardly what you would expect, if things were being taken seriously!! The "minnows"...meaning Luxembourg!! had missed a fifth minute penalty which might have changed the evening! It was about time that.... the cliche..."there's no easy games in international football any more!"...... really started to pick up "steam". Must have been dodgey..even Beckham got a yellow!

 

Wednesday, 14th October 1998, 8:30pm

•  
• Luxembourg 0 - 3 England
• Euro 2000 Qualifying Group 5
• Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• Michael Owen, 19'
• Alan Shearer, 38' (pen)
• Gareth Southgate, 88'

• 1David Seaman
  
  
• 2Rio Ferdinand
  
  
• 3Phil Neville
  
  
• 4David Batty
  
  
• 5Sol Campbell
  
  
• 6Gareth Southgate
  
  
• 7David Beckham
  
   21'
• 8Darren Anderton
  
  63'
• 9Alan Shearer
  
  (c)
• 10Michael Owen
  
  
• 11Paul Scholes
  
  77'
• 15Rob Lee
  
  63'
• 17Ian Wright
  
  77'
• David Beckham received 87 Yellows in PL. LaLiga, Serie A and Lique....+ 187 yellows in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Lique 1 + 19 Yellows in his international career.

MERSEYSIDE DERBY 1894+

 One of the greatest DERBIES was played out for the first time, on this date in 1894. The two "most famous" Liverpool clubs met in what was known as the "THE FRIENDLY DERBY" (and still is!!) in a match that "polarises" families, friends, colleagues and lovers!! across Merseyside. Everton drew "first blood" beating the Reds 3-0 at Goodison Park, two years aftet the "Toffees" had moved out of Anfield, the ground they shared with their "neighbours", following a rent dispute.

It is the longest running top-flight derby in England, with its first official match being played on 13th October 1894. when Everton hosted Liverpool and won 3-0 in a Leaue Division One match.                On November 17th there was a 2-2 draw played at Liverpool.

The derby has been played continuously since the 1962-3. Part of the rivalry is due to the close proximity of the two clubs' home grounds, being less than a mile apart and within sight of each other across Stanley Park, when Everton played at Goodison Park; they now play their home matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Vauxhall, while Liverpool still play theirs at Anfield.

The Merseyside derby was traditionally referred to as the "friendly derby" because of the large number of families in the city with both Everton and Liverpool supporters, and it was one of the few that did not enforce total fan segregation. The 1984 Football League Cup Final at Wembley was nicknamed the "friendly final" due to almost all sections of the ground being mixed and supporters of both teams banding together to chant "Merseyside". 

The 1986 FA Cup Final witnessed similar scenes of solidarity. Since the mid-1980s, the rivalry has intensified on and off the field, and has seen more red cards given than any other game since the creation of the Premier League!! In the 2010s, the derby was dominated by Liverpool, arguably becoming the most one-sided in the English top-flight. Despite this, it has become more competitive in recent years.

Everton v Liverpool

Games won:	84
Games drawn:	87
Games lost:	128

Matches between Everton/Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers (nice badge below!), based in Birkenhead on the other side of the River Mersey, are also classed as Merseyside derbies, but as Tranmere have spent all of their history outside the top flight, competitive matches are a rarity. (more on Tranmere tomorrow!)

They have occasionally faced Everton and Liverpool in cup competitions. Their last meeting with both clubs came in the FA Cup in 2001. Tranmere caused an upset by beating Everton 3–0 in the fourth round, before losing 4–2 to Liverpool in the quarter-finals!!

As of 19 April 2026

Competition	Played	Everton wins	Draws	Liverpool wins	Everton goals	Liverpool goals
Football League First Division	146	48	44	54	181	203
Premier League	68	11	26	31	59	96
FA Cup	25	7	6	12	28	40
Football League/EFL Cup	4	1	1	2	1	2
FA Charity/Community Shield	3	1	1	1	2	2
Football League Super Cup	2	0	0	2	2	7
Total	248	68	78	102	273	350

TIME FOR THE VASE

A list of all the previous FA Vase Finals, from 1974-5 until the present day

Romford won the 2023-4 FA Vase title at Wembley.

All of the FA Vase Finals to have been held since the competition's first campaign in the 1974-75 season can be seen below. 

1974-75: Hoddesdon Town 2-1 Epsom & Ewell
1975-76: Billericay Town 1-0 Stamford
1976-77: Billericay Town 2-1 Sheffield (Replay)
1977-78: Blue Star 2-1 Barton Rovers
1978-79: Billericay Town 4-1 Almondsbury Greenway
1979-80: Stamford 2-0 Guisborough Town
1980-81: Whickham 3-2 Willenhall Town
1981-82: Forest Green Rovers 3-0 Rainworth Miners Welfare
1982-83: VS Rugby 1-0 Halesowen Town
1983-84: Stansted 2-0 Stamford
1984-85: Halesowen Town 3-1 Fleetwood Town
1985-86: Halesowen Town 3-0 Southall
1986-87: St Helens Town 3-2 Warrington Town
1987-88: Colne Dynamoes 1-0 Emley
1988-89: Tamworth 3-0 Sudbury Town (Replay)
1989-90: Yeading 1-0 Bridlington Town (Replay)
1990-91: Guiseley 3-1 Gresley Rovers (Replay)
1991-92: Wimborne Town 5-3 Guiseley
1992-93: Bridlington Town 1-0 Tiverton Town
1993-94: Diss Town 2-1 Taunton Town
1994-95: Arlesey Town 2-1 Oxford City
1995-96: Brigg Town 3-0 Clitheroe
1996-97: Whitby Town 3-0 North Ferriby United
1997-98: Tiverton Town 1-0 Tow Law Town
1998-99: Tiverton Town 1-0 Bedlington Terriers
1999-00: Deal Town 1-0 Chippenham Town
2000-01: Taunton Town 2-1 Berkhamsted Town
2001-02: Whitley Bay 1-0 Tiptree United
2002-03: Brigg Town 2-1 AFC Sudbury
2003-04: Winchester City 2-0 AFC Sudbury
2004-05: Didcot Town 3-2 AFC Sudbury
2005-06: Nantwich Town 3-1 Hillingdon Borough
2006-07: Truro City 3-1 AFC Totton
2007-08: Kirkham & Wesham 2-1 Lowestoft Town
2008-09: Whitley Bay 2-0 Glossop North End
2009-10: Whitley Bay 6-1 Wroxham
2010-11: Whitley Bay 3-2 Coalville Town
2011-12: Dunston UTS 2-0 West Auckland Town
2012-13: Spennymoor Town 2-1 Tunbridge Wells
2013-14: Sholing 1-0 West Auckland Town
2014-15: North Shields 2-1 Glossop North End 
2015-16: Hereford 1-4 Morpeth Town
2016-17: Cleethorpes 0-4 South Shields
2017-18: Stockton 0-1 Thatcham Town
2018-19: Chertsey Town 3-1 Cray Valley (PM)
2019-20: Hebburn Town 3-0 Consett.
2020-21: Warrington Rylands 3-2 Binfield
2021-22: Newport Pagnell Town 3-0 Littlehampton Town
2022-23: Ascot 1-0 Newport Pagnell Town
2023-24: Romford 3-0 Great Wakering Rovers
2024-25: AFC Whyteleafe 1-2 Whitstable Town
2025-26: AFC Stoneham 0-0 Cockfosters (4-2 on penalties) 

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